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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Since the holiday season is upon us, I thought in the spirit of family I would
share a group of family portraits. They belong to just one family that
went through the American Civil War. Based purely on visual senses, it is
estimated that these photos were taken around the outbreak of the war,
or even into 1862.

Michael Miller (also spelled Moeller) was born
in 1813 and
emigrated to the United States with his wife Mary Ann (1812-1886) before
1850 from
Hessen, Germany in search of a new life. They settled in Mineral Point,
Iowa County, Wisconsin, an area that at that time was filling with many
German immigrants. Not only was the landscape perfect for
agriculture, but it probably reminded many of these people of home as
well. Michael was a farmer and
according to the 1850 census owned property at a value of $300.00. He
and his wife had four children; John (1842- ), Casper (1847-1931), Mary
(1851-1914) and Nicholas (1853- ).

As the Civil War broke out in 1861, Michael kept
to working the family farm at Mineral Point, Wisconsin (property valued
by that time up to $1,000 - Personal Property Value $200), but finally
in
1862, he could no longer hold out. After President Lincoln's call for
100,000 men he enlisted in Company B, 30th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
on August 15, 1862 at the age of 49. Yes, he certainly was among the
older soldiers in the 30th, and for that matter in almost any regiment.
The 30th Wisconsin did not see the glory that other units experienced
on famous battlefields across the south, but spent most of its time
assisting expeditions into Indian territory in northwest Minnesota and
even into the Dakota Territory. This is largely a forgotten front of
the American Civil War and it was dirty and inhospitable business from
so many perspectives. Similarly to today's situation in parts of the
world, these men on the frontier had great difficulty distinguishing
between friend and foe. Their job was to keep that balance from tipping
on the periphery while the country tore itself apart. Although names
like Shiloh or Gettysburg did not adorn their banners, the job was
equally as important. The 30th Wisconsin also guarded prisoner of war
camps and eventually moved to Kentucky later in the war for garrison
duty. Michael Miller was one of the regiment's wagoners during his
service. He served nearly his entire enlistment until being mustered out
of Federal service after the cessation of hostilities on August 14,
1865 due to disability.

Michael's wife, Mary Ann

After the war, Michael returned to his
farm where he lived with his family, the sun starting to set on his
life's journey. He died on January 27, 1876 at the age of 63. It
is also believed that his son, John, served during the later stages of
the war (1864-65) in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry. Unfortunately he must
have died fairly young as well because the records are very foggy. The
rest of the family eventually moved with the only daughter (Mary
Miller Prideaux) and her husband to Saint Paul, Minnesota where they
lived out their lives and expanded the family. They must have remained
somewhat close because Mary Ann Miller (mother), Mary Miller Prideaux
and Casper Miller (and his wife) are all buried together at Oakland
Cemetery in St. Paul.

This brief
story of course barely scratches the surface of the life these folks
lived, but they were just like so many families today when
the cruel winds of war severed the family bond. Even those family's
that survived unscathed, moved on from the war years greatly changed.
These changes along with a pervading perseverance allowed the country to start living again, healing, and moving forward in
an effort to build something better out of the ashes of that terrible
conflict. The reconstruction was even more complicated than the
fighting of course, but the hope of that "new birth of freedom" to which
Lincoln ingrained in the minds of Americans at least had an opportunity
to expand... Of course 150 years later, the difficulties of that
postwar era were just beginning, but during this holiday season we have a
lot to be thankful for.

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About Me

I am a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park and have been studying Civil War history since about age five. The two things that I re-learn every single day are, how much more there is to learn about the American Civil War, and, at least one (usually 20) new thing. The folks that lived through this volatile period all have a story to tell and 'their stories' have changed my life. It is a story worth sharing and there is much for all of us to learn about what it means to be human.

Besides spending most of my time giving tours here at Gettysburg, I also present lectures and programs on numerous Civil War topics. If you or your organization is interested in one of these programs, please don't be shy and contact me. Some of my favorite topics include, but are not limited to; the George Spangler Farm at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Regiments in the war (specializing in the 40th PA (11th Reserves), 50th PA, 105th PA (The Wildcats) and the 127th PA (Dauphin County Regiment), The Wheatfield at Gettysburg, The Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, the Ninth Corps at Antietam, and many others. Thank you for browsing and enjoy.